Track scraper or cleaner



F. N. ROOT.

TRACKSCRAPER 0R CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1920.

1 ,3-79, 3,63. Patented May 24,1921

rnnn 1v. ROOT, or KALAnAzoo, MICHIGAN.

TRACK SCRAPER OR. CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24., 1921.

Application filed. April 27, 1920. .7 Serial N 0 1371134.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRED N. ROOT, a citizenof the United States, residing at Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo county, State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful.

Improvements in Track Scrapers or Cleaners, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in track scrapers or cleaners,more especially for street cars.

The objects of the invention are First, to provide a suitable yieldingscraper with means for automatically locking it in down or up position.

Second, to provide an improved construction ofspring scraper which shallyield effectively whether the car is going forward or backward.

Objects relating to details and economies of construction and operationwill definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. Iaccomplish the objects of my 1nvention by the devices and meansdescribed in the following specification; The invention is clearlydefined and pointed.- out in the claims.

A structure which is apreferred embodiment of my invention is fullyillustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification, in which:

Figure I is a detail perspective view of my improved scraper device forstreet car use, as it would appear arranged for operation. but detachedfrom the framework of the street car.

Fig. II is a detail perspective view of a spring and scraper shoedetached.

Fig. III is an enlarged detail sectional plan view, taken on line 33 ofFig. I, showing details of the automatic lock.

In the drawing similar numerals of reference refer to similar partsthroughout the several views.

Considering the numbered parts of the drawing, 1 is the scraper shoe, 2is the track cleaning tooth or bar disposed to engage the groove or thenotch at the side of a rail. 3 is the spring which has a substantlallyvertical portion 3' that is extended down and secured to the back of thescraper shoe. The forward end of the spring 8 is bent into the arc of acircle 3", where it is clamped by a clip 4 to the side of the rock shaft5. The rock shaft 5 is disposed transversely and supported by brackets 6which are secured to the under framework of the platform or frontportion of a street car. The rock shaft 5 is provided with an actuatingarm 7 which 1s actuated by anoperating link 8. The operating link '8 iscontrolled from the vertical control column 9,,which may be providedwith a hand wheel 9 or a crank 9", or any means of control, as indicatedin Fig. II.

An arm 10 is securely fixed to the lower end ofjthe column 9 and it ispivoted at 11 to the rear endof the operating link 8. The

lower end. of the column 9 is pivoted at 13 on the supporting angle ironbrackets 12 through the horizontal portion 12 of the said angle ironbracket and at a little distance. from the vertical member thereof.

The link 8 is notched atlt so that the pivot 11 passes the dead centerwhen the control column 9 is manipulated. It will thus be seen thatwhenthe scraper is thrown down to. -its work, strong spring pressure is applied and because the rock shaft yields in this application, when thearm 10 swings so that the. pivot .11 passesrthe dead center, the

device is automatically/locked in its down position for scraping. On theother hand, when the arm; 10 is thrown to the opposite position itpasses=the dead center when it contacts with the vertical portion of theangle bracket and the scraper is locked in its elevated position.

Because of the fact that the scraper is at tached to a vertical portionof the rear wardly extending horizontally disposed spring, the same canyield and tilt either forward or back and readily pass obstruc tions onthe track.

I have described my improved structure in its simplest form and desireto state that it can be applied and made use of even when power meansand cushioning devices are made use of, but as my invention does notpertain to the same I have not illustrated such details here. I desireto claim the structure in the specific form here illustrated and alsobroadly, as pointed out in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a track scraper, the combination of a scraper shoe, a blade springcarrying the same having a vertical portion to which the said scraperblade is attached and a substantially horizontal portion, a rock shaft,means for securing the end of said spring to said rock shaft, anactuating arm on said rock shaft, a connecting link to said arm, avertical control column, and an arm at the lower end of said column,pivotally con- 1 nected to said link to form a toggle joint,

arranged to pass the dead center, said link.

dead center, saidlink beinglnotched'to permit the pivot to pass the deadcenter to hold the scraper in its up or down position, coacting asspecified.

3. In a trackiscraper, the combination of a scraper shoe, a bladespring'oarryin'g the same having a vertical 'portion to 'whi'ch the saidscraper blade is attached and a substantially horizontal portion, a rockshaft, means for'securingthe end "of said spring to said 'rockzshaft,an'actuating arm onsaid' vrock -shaft, a connecting linkto said arm;

a Vertical-control column, and anarmalt the lower end of said column,pivotally connected to said link to form a toggle joint,"

arranged to pass the dead-center, coacting as specified. v

1 4. .In a track scraper, the combination of a scraper shoe, a bladespring carrying the same having a vertical portion to which the saidscraper blade is attached and a "substantially "horizontal portion, arock shaft, means for securing the end of said spring to said rockshaft, an actuating arm on saidrock shaft, a vertical control column,and means connecting said column "to said rockshaft, coacting asspecified.

5. In a track scraper, the combination of ascraper shoe, arock'shaft,f'spr1ng connect1onsfroin'sa1d rock shaft to said scrapershoe, an actuating arm 'onsaid rock shaft,

a connecting link to saifd arm, a vertical control column and anarmatth'e lower endof said 'colurnn, pivotally connected to said link toform a :toggle joint, arranged to pass the d'e'ad center, said linkbeing'notched to permit 5 the 'pivot to pass' the' dead-center to holdthe scraper in its up or down position, coacting as specified. I

6. In-a track scrap'er, tlie-combination of a scraper shoe, Vrock-shaft, spring C011I1G' tions from said rockshaftto said scrapershoeyan actuating armon'said rock shaft, a connet'zting lin-k tosaid-arm, avertical control columnya'nd anarm at tne lower end of saidcolumn, pivotally connected'to said link toform a toggletjoint, arrangedto pass the dead center, coac'tin'g as specified.

Inwitness "whereof, 'I have hereunto set my" hand and sealin-the'presence of two witnesse's. V e

' FRED vN. BOOT. [L.'S,]

WVitnesses:

, LUELLA G. GRnENrInLD, f MAReAnnr L. GEASQOW.

